Early morning court assembly, a demanding task.
Although the assembly time was set at the Mao period, unwritten rules required officials to arrive at the palace gradually starting from the Yin period, waiting silently.
Fortunately, most of the ministers attending the imperial audience had cultivation, and the Imperial Court had built many assembly rooms within the Imperial City for officials to rest according to their rank.
As the Mao period approached, the full moon hung in the sky, and dawn had not yet broken.
While most common folks were still in deep sleep, within Weng City outside the Zhengwu Gate, the important courtiers had already gathered in large numbers.
Above the palace walls, imposing Imperial Guards stood with blades at hand; below the walls, officials in various colored robes were arranged in an orderly hierarchy.
No one whispered privately; the vast Weng City was quiet as a dead city.